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“Do” in the NT vs. “Faith Alone” (40 Passages)

“Do” in the NT vs. “Faith Alone” (40 Passages)

Last updated on: November 24, 2025 at 10:03 pm by Dave Armstrong

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“Do” in the NT vs. “Faith Alone” (40 Passages) 2025-11-24T22:03:29-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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Photo credit: Saint Paul Writing His Epistles (c. 1618-1620); attributed to Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

I already have several articles along these lines:

Bible vs. “Faith Alone”: 100 Proofs (100 Bible Passages On Catholic Justification, Sanctification, and Faith + Works [from 22 out of 27 NT Books]: All Disproving Protestant “Faith Alone” Soteriology) [8-26-24; revised and expanded on 9-10-24, 10-4-24, and 10-8-24]

Salvation Caused by Actions: 80 Bible Passages (. . . Proving That “Faith Alone” is a False Doctrine) [10-5-24]

Meritorious Works: 50 Biblical Proofs (Bible Passages On God’s Rewarding and Being Pleased by Grace-Originated Meritorious Works of the Regenerate) [10-4-24]

Final Judgment & Works (Not Faith): 50 Passages [2-10-08]

St. Paul on Grace, Faith, & Works (50 Passages) [8-6-08]

Banzoli’s 45 “Faith Alone” Passages; My 200 Biblical Disproofs [6-16-22]

New Perspective on Paul: Exegesis of “Works of the Law” (Does “Works of the Law” Refer to All Good Works Whatsoever?) [4-4-25]

Is it Possible to Perfectly Keep the Law? [National Catholic Register, 12-31-24]

The first article above already contained several passages that highlight the words “do” or “does” or doers” etc. (Mt 3:10; 7:19; Lk 3:9; 6:35; 10:27; Jn 6:27; 15:2-8; Acts 10:35; Rom 2:7, 10, 13; Gal 6:9-10; Phil 2:12-16; 3:9-14; 1 Tim 6:18-19; Heb 10:36; Rev 2:5; 14:13).

I decided to do a search of “do” in the New Testament. That was no easy task, since in the RSV it appears in the NT 853 times. “Does” appears 189 times. But by highlighting “do” on each search page I was able to go through all of them, to find instances that have to do with the topic of salvation and justification (soteriology).

In the 100 proofs against “faith alone” I stuck solely to passages where works and salvation and/or justification were directly tied together in the same passage. Six of the passages here, too, are of that nature (they’ll be preceded by an asterisk). But my criterion for inclusion was a little different. These are passages that (mostly) don’t expressly make the connection of “works” (“do” etc.) and “salvation”, but they do state notions that are perfectly consistent with — and I would say, suggest or bring to mind — the Catholic view of justification and salvation (grace + faith, which organically includes within itself, good works flowing from the same grace and faith).

It’s obviously not required that every Bible verse or larger passage must includes a complete or comprehensive theology within itself — and it’s not possible. Writers can’t and don’t say everything in a sentence or two. So there can be hundreds of biblical passages that express ideas that are perfectly consistent with other more explicit passages. That is the case here.

These passages are perfectly consistent with Catholic soteriology (because they are harmonious with my hundred collected biblical passages), and they don’t fit in very well with “faith alone.” They teach — without using the word “works” — the same general notion: that doing things or taking action, acting upon convictions, etc., is central and front and center in the Christian life and in the process of salvation. I submit that these passages flow out of a Catholic “atmosphere” or worldview, and Catholic presuppositions.

All passages are from RSV.

*****

Matthew 5:19 “Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 10:38 (cf. Lk 14:27) “and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Matthew 13:23 “As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Mark 3:35 (cf. Mt 12:50) “Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Mark 9:39-40 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. [40] For he that is not against us is for us.”

Note how a “mighty work” done in Jesus’ name indicates a positive acceptance of (being “for”) Jesus, without faith being mentioned.

*Luke 3:8-11 “Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. [9] Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” [10] And the multitudes asked him, “What then shall we do?” [11] And he answered them, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

*Luke 6:31-33, 35, 38, 43-49 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. [32] “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. [33] And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. . . . [35] But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. . . . [38] give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” . . . [43] “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; [44] for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. [45] The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. [46] “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? [47] Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: [48] he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built. [49] But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Luke 8:21 But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

*Luke 12:32-33 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”

John 3:21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

John 7:17 “if any man’s will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”

John 10:37-38 “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; [38] but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

This is striking, insofar as Jesus highlights the works He does over against belief in Him, saying that they should be believed in, even if He is not believed in: similar to Mark 9:39-40 above. This could hardly be said by any Protestant.

John 13:15-17 “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. [16] Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. [17] If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

John 14:11 “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.”

This is similar to John 10:37-38 above. But here He does couple belief in Him and works, but what is fascinating is that He highlights works as the reason to believe in Him (rather than faith, or faith alone). Then in the next verse He combines together faith in Him and works:

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.”

John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 15:14, 16 “You are my friends if you do what I command you. . . . [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

1 Corinthians 9:23-25 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. [24] Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. [25] Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. . . . [33] just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. [14] Let all that you do be done in love.

Ephesians 3:20 . . . him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

Ephesians 6:8 knowing that whatever good any one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more.

2 Thessalonians 3:4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things which we command.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing.

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman . . .

Hebrews 13:16, 20-21 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. . . . [20] Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, [21] equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, . . .

James 4:15, 17 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that.” . . . [17] Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

1 Peter 3:11 let him turn away from evil and do right; . . .

*1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

*2 Peter 1:10-11 Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; [11] so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

*1 John 2:17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever.

1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.

*1 John 3:10, 14 By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother. . . . [14] We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.

1 John 3:18-19 Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. [19] By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him

1 John 3:22, 24 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. . . . [24] All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

1 John 4:7-8, 20 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. [8] He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. . . . [20] If any one says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God.

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Photo credit: Saint Paul Writing His Epistles (c. 1618-1620); attributed to Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Summary: 40 biblical passages proving that doing things or taking action, acting upon convictions, etc., is central and front and center in the Christian life and in the process of salvation.

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